06 / 06 / 2023

The Kvarken Council’s office wants to thank the resigning board members

In connection with the Kvarken Council EGTC’s annual meeting on May 26th, the resigning board members were thanked. Among them Lennart Holmlund, one of the longest-serving board members and the Kvarken Council’s former Chairman.

It was the last annual meeting as a board member for Lennart Holmlund from Region Västerbotten this year. Holmlund has been a part of the Kvarken Council’s board, and previously also served as the Council’s Chairman and Vice Chairman. 

Holmlund has had assignments in Umeå municipality since the 1970s. After he became a full-time politician, he has served as a Municipal Commissioner of Umeå municipality and Chairman of the municipal board. Holmlund looks back at his time in the Kvarken Council’s board with joy. 

– In the past, we got to know each other better amongst the board members compared to what we do today. Today, the board meetings are short, and we have few opportunities to get to know each other. It would be important for the sake of the cooperation, to have time for that as well, Holmlund believes. 

– Perhaps the most important issue for the Kvarken Council has been to secure the traffic over the Kvarken strait and we succeeded in that. We have succeeded in almost everything we set out to do and we have pulled in the same direction. Now it feels right to resign. I have made many friends for life from Ostrobothnia and through the Kvarken Council, Holmlund continues. 

Four other board members also resigned in connection with the annual meeting: Per Nylén from Örnsköldsvik municipality, Christer Rönnlund from Lycksele municipality, Hans Backlund from Region Västernorrland, and Annica Engström from Region Västernorrland. 

In addition, the Kvarken Council’s staff member Olav Jern was thanked in connection with the annual meeting. Jern is a former long-term board member of the Kvarken Council and has extensive experience of Nordic cooperation through his previous jobs at the Provincial Federation of Swedish Ostrobothnia, the Provincial Government, and the Mayor of the Regional Council of Ostrobothnia. Nowadays he is retired, but he has served as the Kvarken Council’s Senior Advisor since 2017. During that time, he has, among other things, helped with infrastructure projects, developed a strategy plan, and helped with the restructure of the Kvarken Council. Now Jern has decided to resign from his mission. 

From the offices side, we would like to say a big thank you to all those who are resigning.

We want to thank both Olav Jern and Lennart Holmlund for the important work that they have done for the Kvarken Council.